Hamburg, a proud historical Hanseatic city, has a strong sense of tradition and a view of history, which is shaped by many seemingly irrefutable cornerstones. Here, fact and fiction about the founding history of Hamburg are merging. For a long time the foundation of the city by Charlemagne was seen as a fact. But there is no proven connection between the emperor Charlemagne and Hammaburg. The Saxon fortification Hammaburg emerged long before Charlemagne conquered Saxony. Hammaburg was not the capital of Nordalbingia until his son, Louis the Pious, made it so.